A blessed Easter to you and yours!

¹² But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. ¹⁵ And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. ¹⁶ And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. ¹⁸ In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! ¹⁹ And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

²⁰ But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

²¹ So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²² Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. ²³ But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. --the apostle Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 15

A blessed Easter to you and yours!

~~Angie

**A Novel Idea

I am SO excited about this book . . . in part because it was conceived in my car!

Robin Jones Gunn, you see, had come to my house last July, and on our way to have some Five Guys burgers, Robin was sharing her heart and her burden about international Christian writers, many of whom cannot afford to come to writer's conferences--nor do they have access to all the great resources that so many American writers do.

So before we knew it, we were thinking about asking some of our writing pals to contribute an article to a "how-to" book for writers . . . and that's when "A Novel Idea" was born. Tyndale House agreed to publish it, dozens and dozens of writers agreed to participate (in fact, we had so many articles submitted the editor wasn't able to use all of them), and now the book is scheduled to arrive in November. I know that any writer will find this book an invaluable resource, so thanks to all who participated in the project. Best of all, you can order it NOW!

Photos: Robin and me with our heads put together (and we have no idea why we made that face) and the official birth announcement for the new "baby"! (You can click on the ad to enlarge.)

~~Angie

We will Remember in November

Back by popular demand--

If you're like me, you were saddened and shocked to see so many of our elected representatives disregard the will of their constituents and vote to put our country in massive unsustainable debt. We must let them know that they did not do their jobs--to represent us well--and the way we will let them know is at the ballot box next November.

Sorry--but we have sold out of the "we will remember" bumper stickers.

--Angie

Cuteness Competition--ready, set, rumble!

I do hope that cat's been declawed . . . what do you suppose he's thinking?

~~Angie

Photos from Google Earth

Lately I've been using Google Earth a lot--to check out real estate neighborhoods AND for book research. I stumbled across this collection of presumably real photos from Google Earth--worth a look. The comments beneath are interesting, too.

Photo: novelists Bill Myers, yours truly, Dale Cramer, and Nick Harrison. Three novelists and an editor walk into a bar and . . . what's the punch line? (Terri asked this on Facebook.) I have no idea, but maybe you can supply one. :-)

Flying home today from Mt. Hermon. I love Mt. Hermon and it was a great conference, but I'm always ready to go home!

~~Angie

The Tale of Three Trees Video

My assistant sent me a link to this video, which is a precious version of my TALE OF THREE TREES. Enjoy--I love these children!

~~Angie

Mt. Hermon is winding down . . .

Next-to-last day at Mt. Hermon, and it's still lovely here. There's a tree that was only budding yesterday, and today it unfurled little tiny green umbrellas on its branches. :-) A light rain is falling, I'm sitting with friends in the smoky coffee shop, and we're all typing on our laptops.

Had some time yesterday to take a walk down one of the nature trails. Found a bench in a meditation point and stretched out on my back, staring up at the sky. So beautiful!

We also held our traditional Palm Sunday service here, and it was beautiful. Karen Ball and I sat outside beneath the trees, and as we sang a hymn, a bird began to chirp in a tree next to us. "Listen to the bird," I sang to Karen, not wanting to lose my note. It was as if all creation was joining in the praise.

Enjoy the photos snapped with my iPhone. And blessings to you!

~~Angie

At Mt. Hermon

Good morning from Mt. Hermon!

The picture is of my buds Randy Ingermanson and Jeff Gerke, busy at work on their laptops (actually, we all gather in this room to check email and the like, as it's the place that sells coffee and has the wi-fi connection.)

Having a grand time, and the teaching begins tomorrow, so today I'll do a lot of catching up. This place looks like the Garden of Eden--the dogwoods and cherry trees are in bloom, the tulips are up, and the ferns are unfrilling . . . it's simply gorgeous. Wish you could be here!

~~Angie

How Old is Your Dog in Human Years?

Finally, the definitive way to gauge your dog's corresponding human age. Go to this chart and figure it out.

Both of my dogs are in their senior years, so I have to watch them lest they get creaky. Just like me. :-)

Tomorrow I'll be flying to California for the Mt. Hermon writer's conference, so if you'll be there, stop and say hello! I'm not sure if I'll be blogging from the conference, but who knows? (I'm sort of looking forward to a week away from the TV.)

Have a great week, everyone!

~~Angie

Jim Denny reports the facts

I'm active on a LOT of email loops, and on one of them, my friend Jim Denny posted the following letter. I've received his permission to post it here for you. Feel free to share this link with others.

From novelist Jim Denny:

If you don't want to read potentially depressing information, STOP NOW, close this email, and delete.

As a follow-up to my post yesterday, I should explain that when I said that the United States of America is "scheduled for demolition," I was not engaging in overstatement. I believe this is literally true. Here are my reasons (with links to documentation supporting those views):

1. The healthcare now being considered by the US Congress will add another expensive entitlement to the already underfunded and unsustainable entitlement system of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. According to both Clinton-appointed former Comptroller General of the United States David Walker and former Reagan-Bush Treasury Department economist Bruce Bartlett, the US government will be bankrupted within a matter of years, not decades, by an explosion of demand on the entitlement system as the baby boomer generation ages into the system.

When this happens, the entitlement system will collapse, and the government will not be able to provide for national security or education, much less Social Security and Medicare. This will happen well within our lifetime, possibly within a few years. The current bad economy is accelerating the pace of events by strangling revenue to the U.S. Treasury.

Bartlett wrote: "Taxpayers are on the hook for Social Security and Medicare by these amounts: Social Security, 1.3% of GDP (gross domestic product); Medicare part A, 2.8% of GDP; Medicare part B, 2.8% of GDP; and Medicare part D, 1.2% of GDP. This adds up to 8.1% of GDP. Thus federal income taxes for every taxpayer would have to rise by roughly 81% to pay all of the benefits promised by these programs under current law over and above the payroll tax. . . . To put it another way, the total unfunded indebtedness of Social Security and Medicare comes to $106.4 trillion. . . . But the nation's total private net worth is only $51.5 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve. In effect, we have promised the elderly benefits equal to more than twice the nation's total wealth on top of the payroll tax."

In addition to all of that, we are now adding a healthcare entitlement.

I'm not being a partisan when I say this. I hold George W. Bush as responsible for this disaster as anyone. In fact, I have to give Bill Clinton credit for working with the Republican Congress and signing the first balanced budget in years in 1996; though his budgets didn't come anywhere close to solving the problem, he at least moved in the right direction. George W. Bush compounded the approaching disaster by increasing Medicare obligations by 40 percent over 75 years with Medicare part D.

Here are the links:

David Walker:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/01/60minutes/main2528226.shtml

Bruce Bartlett:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/14/taxes-social-security-opinions-columnists-medicare.html

2. The healthcare bill extends coverage to an additional 30 million people. At the same time, there will be a mass exodus of doctors out of the healthcare system.

Two separate polls have shown that nearly half of all doctors would quit the practice of medicine if Congress passes a government health care overhaul. The Investor's Business Daily / TIPP Poll found 45 percent of doctors said they would quit their practice or retire early. The Medicus Firm Survey, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, got an almost identical result, 46 percent.

The American health care system is going to collapse under the combined weight of more patients and drastically fewer doctors.

Links:

http://www.themedicusfirm.com/pages/medicus-media-survey-reveals-impact-health-reform

http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/Columnists/A_Time_For_Choosing/OH_MYNEARLY_HALF_OF_THE_NATIONS_DOCTORS_MAY_QUIT_IF_OBAMACARE_IS_PASSED/28587

3. Greece is our future. People are striking and rioting in Greece because the government is closing schools and shutting off pensions and other entitlements because the government of Greece is out of money. And that's exactly the situation we are heading for. Greece is the canary in the coalmine. We're next in line for asphyxiation.

Links:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-margolis/cleaning-up-greeces-augea_b_474730.html

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/economy-and-business/Greek-Debt-Crisis-Affects-Europe-World-Economy-85493662.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100224-709963.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope

Picture what happens to our society when the US government suddenly can't pay police and soldiers, can't equip the military, can't keep schools open, can't pay welfare checks, can't pay pensions. The chaos in Greece is nothing compared to the social collapse that will take place in the USA.

This can't go on much longer. We have already reached the point where China and other nations are warning they will no longer buy our debt. This situation is completely unsustainable. Yet we are going to add a multi-trillion dollar entitlement that will collapse our health care system, resulting in rationing and death. This is insane.

When I said that the USA is scheduled for demolition, this is what I meant. God bless America.

Jim D.

P.S. from Angie: don't forget to order your WE WILL REMEMBER bumper sticker!

Complete List . . .

Complete list of books by Angela Elwell Hunt:

I've received several emails from people asking for a complete list of my books all in one place. (On my website, they are divided into categories for ease of searching.)

If you're truly interested, you can find a complete list, with publication date and publisher, in my entry on Wikipedia. Here's a link if you're interested.

~~Angie

Writing at Starbucks

LOL!

I know why people write at Starbucks--sometimes you simply need a chance of scenery. Or you may need to get away from the family, the dogs, the email, the phone, or the children.

I have never gone to a Starbucks (or any other place) to write, but I have gone to the back porch or the kitchen. Do those places count?

~~Angie

Doritos are the New Cool

With all the hype about the new iPad and other techno marvels, the folks at Doritos have come up with their own slant:

Enjoy!

~~Angie

Complete in Thee video

Through the miracle of dubbing (putting voices and images on top of one another), we have this lovely video. I wasn't familiar with this song/hymn, but I love it! Thanks and a tip of the hat to Lynda in MO for this lovely link!

~~Angie

Mama Said There'd be Days Like This

Saturday afternoon.

1 can of white paint

1 tired woman

2 big dogs.

Woman thinks she'll grab the can of white paint and do some quick touch-ups of the not-so-pristine white baseboards and trim in the dining room. She does the touch-ups, but big dog #1 is sprawled out by the window, where the trim is in need of some attention.

Woman asks dog to move; dog ignores her.

Woman straddles big dog and bends down to paint the trim, bracing herself against lovely antique French buffet that is loaded with glassware. She sets can of paint on the window sill.

Through said dining room window, big dog number two spies innocent passerby on sidewalk. Big Dog #2 begins to bark and growl and generally make nuisance of self beside large dining room window.

Big Dog #1, disturbed by barking, rises up to sit at attention. Woman sees the move coming, and braces herself; doesn't spill a drop of paint.

Big Dog #2, upset by Big Dog #1's intrusion upon guardian duties, snarls, barks, and turns on Big Dog #1, who rises to all four feet, throwing Alpha (woman) against antique French buffet, which slides back until it hits the wall.

Woman braces for sound of breaking glass. Plates fall, crystal lamps teeter, but nothing breaks. Woman breathes sigh of relief just as unnamed, unnumbered and unknown dog knocks can of paint from window sill onto wooden floor.

Woman watches in horror as white paint covers wooden floor, room-sized rug, side of antique French Buffet, lamp cord, wall, and, of course, paint can.

Woman quickly prioritizes: 1) wooden floor. House is on market, floor must be saved.

2) French buffet.

3) Wall. White paint is for trim only.

4) Rug--smells of dog, so will be thrown out eventually. Apparently sooner than later.

Twenty minutes later, woman is washing out paint-soaked rags and wishing she'd settled down with a good book instead of a paint brush. Dogs blissfully slumbering as usual.

~~Angie

Little Actions Do Matter

Ever think that the little things you do don't count? You'll change your tune if you watch this video. The smallest of actions, for good or ill, can set off a chain of events . . . um, that's a good premise. Sounds like a novel!

~~Angie

If This Doesn't Brighten Your Day, Nothing Will

No comment necessary.

Calling all Cooks!

I don't cook much, but if you do, or if you're looking for the next great thing to take to that family dinner (or book club meeting, hint, hint), here's a site for you:

Oreos recipes.

LOL! Some of them look yummy, some look absolutely awful! Which is your favorite? I'd like to try the Oreo cheesecake. :-)

~~Angie

Food for Thought

~~Angie

LOL!

Okay--go to this site--and then come back and suggest a title for the clip. I've thought of a couple:

When Mannequins Make Melody

How to Bluff When You Forget the Words

Rendering Funky Wall Art into Vowels

Voice Coach to the Stars Demonstrates Vocal Exercises

What do you think?

~~Angie